And already spreading like wildfire. Sessions, Lewndowsky all tapped.__________________You stick your middle finger in my face, and you interpret that the way you see fit. I'll interpret it the way I see fit. Then we can figure it out together.

Yep. obama and lynch tap trump and his people, make sure what they hear is disseminated, meet with slick willie on the tarmac to update him on the taps, and STILL lose the election lol. Now it's fair game for trump and sessions to return the favor. At least the dems won't complain, since they set the precedent.__________________"She Packed My Bags Last Night, Pre-Flight, Zero Hour Nine A.M."

President Trump’s explosive allegation that former president Barack Obama wiretapped him is based on—what?

That’s been the question ever since a series of provocative early-morning tweets by the president, since he and his staff have provided no evidence.

At The Fact Checker, we require the accuser to provide the evidence for a dramatic claim. We asked on Saturday and received no answer.

However, in calling for congressional investigation into Russian meddling in the election to also investigate this claim, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Sunday referred to “reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations.” That suggests the tweets were based on media reports, not information that the president might have received from inside the government.

Our colleague Robert Costa has reported that White House aides have internally circulated an article on Breitbart titled: “Mark Levin to Congress: Investigate Obama’s ‘Silent Coup’ vs. Trump.” Breitbart is a right-leaning news organization that is a rather unreliable source of information. Often the material that is published is derivative and twisted in misleading ways.

However, a White House spokesman told The Fact Checker that the White House instead is relying on reports “from BBC, Heat St., New York Times, Fox News, among others.” He provided a list of five articles.

Let’s explore the sources of the president’s claim.

The Facts

We are going to start with the Breitbart article, which lists two key data points that appear to relate to the president’s claim:

June 2016: FISA request. The Obama administration files a request with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) to monitor communications involving Donald Trump and several advisers. The request, uncharacteristically, is denied.

October: FISA request. The Obama administration submits a new, narrow request to the FISA court, now focused on a computer server in Trump Tower suspected of links to Russian banks. No evidence is found — but the wiretaps continue, ostensibly for national security reasons, Andrew McCarthy at National Review later notes. The Obama administration is now monitoring an opposing presidential campaign using the high-tech surveillance powers of the federal intelligence services.

But these data points are not based on reporting by Breitbart. Instead Breitbart link to a report which appeared in Heat Street, another right-leaning news organization: “EXCLUSIVE: FBI ‘Granted FISA Warrant’ Covering Trump Camp’s Ties To Russia.” It was written by Louise Mensch, a former Tory member of the British Parliament and an independent journalist. This is one of the news reports identified by the White House, and it’s the most important one.

This article claimed: “Two separate sources with links to the counter-intelligence community have confirmed to Heat Street that the FBI sought, and was granted, a FISA court warrant in October, giving counter-intelligence permission to examine the activities of ‘U.S. persons’ in Donald Trump’s campaign with ties to Russia.”

Mensch claimed that the warrant was related to an FBI investigation of possible secret channel of email communication from the Trump Organization to a Russian bank—an investigation that, as far as anyone knows, went nowhere.

“The FISA warrant was granted in connection with the investigation of suspected activity between the server [in Trump Tower] and two banks, SVB Bank and Alfa Bank. However, it is thought in the intelligence community that the warrant covers any ‘US person’ connected to this investigation, and thus covers Donald Trump and at least three further men who have either formed part of his campaign or acted as his media surrogates,” Mensch wrote.

The Washington Post for months has sought to confirm this report of a FISA warrant related to the Trump campaign but has been unable to do so. Presumably other U.S. news organizations have tried to do so as well. So one has to take this claim with a huge dose of skepticism. Indeed, the New York Times reported before the election that the FBI “ultimately concluded that there could be an innocuous explanation, like a marketing email or spam, for the computer contacts” with the Russian banks.

Interestingly, as far as we can tell, only two other reports have touched on this FISA claim, and they also have British connections. One is a report in the BBC from January, which the White House also cited as a source. The BBC reported:

Lawyers from the National Security Division in the Department of Justice then drew up an application. They took it to the secret US court that deals with intelligence, the FISA court, named after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. They wanted permission to intercept the electronic records from two Russian banks.

Their first application, in June, was rejected outright by the judge. They returned with a more narrowly drawn order in July and were rejected again. Finally, before a new judge, the order was granted, on 15 October, three weeks before election day.

Neither Mr Trump nor his associates are named in the FISA order, which would only cover foreign citizens or foreign entities – in this case the Russian banks. But ultimately, the investigation is looking for transfers of money from Russia to the United States, each one, if proved, a felony offense.

A lawyer- outside the Department of Justice but familiar with the case – told me that three of Mr Trump’s associates were the subject of the inquiry. “But it’s clear this is about Trump,” he said.

Finally, there was a report in The Guardian, which reported on the supposed June FISA request, but could not confirm the October one. (The White House did not cite the Guardian.)

The Guardian has learned that the FBI applied for a warrant from the foreign intelligence surveillance (FISA) court over the summer in order to monitor four members of the Trump team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials. The FISAc ourt turned down the application asking FBI counter-intelligence investigators to narrow its focus. According to one report, the FBI was finally granted a warrant in October, but that has not been confirmed, and it is not clear whether any warrant led to a full investigation.

The White House provided three other sources. Two, a National Review article and a Fox News interview, are simply derivative of the Heat Street article, with no independent confirmation. The third is a New York Times report that intelligence agencies “are examining intercepted communications and financial transactions” as part of a probe of possible links between Russian officials and Trump campaign aides. (We recall the president has previously deemed Times reporting on this matter as “fake news.”)

So what do we have here?

Only two articles, both with British roots, have reported that a FISA court order was granted in October to examine possible activity between two Russian banks and a computer server in the Trump Tower. This claim has not been confirmed by an U.S. news organizations. Moreover, neither article says President Obama requested the order or that it resulted in the tapping of Trump’s phone lines.

(Our colleague Ellen Nakashima reported how difficult it is to obtain a wiretape of a U.S. citizen as part of a foreign intelligence investigation.)

Moreover, the articles do not support the White House’s claim that these were “potentially politically motivated investigations” led by President Obama. The articles all suggest the FISA requests — if they happened — were done by the intelligence agencies and the FBI. The BBC says the investigation was prompted by a tip from a Baltic country abut possible criminal activity:

Last April, the CIA director was shown intelligence that worried him. It was – allegedly – a tape recording of a conversation about money from the Kremlin going into the US presidential campaign.

It was passed to the US by an intelligence agency of one of the Baltic States. The CIA cannot act domestically against American citizens so a joint counter-intelligence task force was created.

The Pinocchio Test

While the Trump White House cited five news reports to justify its request for a congressional investigation, only two actually are relevant.

It’s certainly ironic that the Trump White House — which has heavily criticized articles relying on anonymous sources — now relies on articles based on anonymous sources that cites information that has not been confirmed by any U.S. news organization. It would be amusing if it were not so sad.

Even if these reports are accepted as accurate, neither back up Trump’s claims that Obama ordered the tapping of his phone calls. Moreover, they also do not back up the administration’s revised claim of politically motivated investigations.

We’re still waiting for the evidence. In the meantime, Trump earns Four Pinocchios.

Originally Posted by mikecEven if true, a 5 am tweet is the most unprofessional way in the world to announce something like that.

mike I don't think you would have approved however he announced it. I like the tweeting and then the whole day of silence and the LSM going bonkers. Perfect plan and I'm not even a Drumpf nutsucker. dewy has no more game now, he needs an uber-gay buh-bye__________________"I like to establish the parameters of my own thoughts and don't think I need a director."

"This is not debate class. And this is not about politeness. We're talking about the damn future of our country"

"It is not just simply yelling out a name and yelling down dissenters........................... and I'll defend your right to even insult me"

Originally Posted by EarlyGrayceYep. obama and lynch tap trump and his people, make sure what they hear is disseminated, meet with slick willie on the tarmac to update him on the taps, and STILL lose the election lol. Now it's fair game for trump and sessions to return the favor. At least the dems won't complain, since they set the precedent.

They shouldn't but they will__________________"I like to establish the parameters of my own thoughts and don't think I need a director."

"This is not debate class. And this is not about politeness. We're talking about the damn future of our country"

"It is not just simply yelling out a name and yelling down dissenters........................... and I'll defend your right to even insult me"

5 months. The rooskie the rooskies. Nothingburgers for everyone. Not a shread of evidence. Yet the "we must investigate ..." still continues. What a laugh. You would have to assume Americans are full morons to believe anything coming from dems at this point.

The June2016 request alone is chilling. They asked the FISA court for a extremely broad request to surveil every aspect of an opposing party Presidential Candidate. If that does not make you concerned, well bully for you. You must have missed what they did with the IRS. What they did so Seth Rich. These are not nice people, the are massively power hungary and pissed tha Trump is returning power to the American people.

"The Obama administration is now monitoring an opposing presidential campaign using the high-tech surveillance powers of the federal intelligence services."

Both of the above are public record.

Furhtermore the Heat Street article has multiple sources, not single source. It has been the single source piss stories from the McCain MSM goofiness that has crashed so hard.

I think it is well within reasonable expectations that when they got turned down in June, they came back in October for a more narrow survielence of Trumps computer server. The fact that they are using the full power of the federal survielence infrastructure to spy on competitor Presidential Campiagn. You think that is ok, ok for you maybe. Seems a violation of our fundamental election system to me. When these guys are outed and charged, we can finally move on from all this silliness.

__________________You stick your middle finger in my face, and you interpret that the way you see fit. I'll interpret it the way I see fit. Then we can figure it out together.

I think it is well within reasonable expectations that when they got turned down in June, they came back in October for a more narrow survielence of Trumps computer server. The fact that they are using the full power of the federal survielence infrastructure to spy on competitor Presidential Campiagn. You think that is ok, ok for you maybe. Seems a violation of our fundamental election system to me. When these guys are outed and charged, we can finally move on from all this silliness.

dewy has whined and cried for years about the Watergate break-in by the staff of that president from California. Looks like he will be out of ammo, save Lilly Ledbetter__________________"I like to establish the parameters of my own thoughts and don't think I need a director."

"This is not debate class. And this is not about politeness. We're talking about the damn future of our country"

"It is not just simply yelling out a name and yelling down dissenters........................... and I'll defend your right to even insult me"

mike I don't think you would have approved however he announced it. I like the tweeting and then the whole day of silence and the LSM going bonkers. Perfect plan and I'm not even a Drumpf nutsucker. dewy has no more game now, he needs an uber-gay buh-bye

yep, it would be great if Trump were like Bush. Get definied by the MSM dopiness. Build up $9T in debt. Run the war in Iraq like he ran his college career. Tank the economy on the way out the door.

But boy he played the game well. __________________You stick your middle finger in my face, and you interpret that the way you see fit. I'll interpret it the way I see fit. Then we can figure it out together.

dewy has whined and cried for years about the Watergate break-in by the staff of that president from California. Looks like he will be out of ammo, save Lilly Ledbetter

I didn't mean that he whined and cried, I apologize. He bawled and squalled over Watergate while Holder, Lynch, Jarrett and obummer were wiping their collective asses with the U.S. Law of the Land__________________"I like to establish the parameters of my own thoughts and don't think I need a director."

"This is not debate class. And this is not about politeness. We're talking about the damn future of our country"

"It is not just simply yelling out a name and yelling down dissenters........................... and I'll defend your right to even insult me"

All FISA applications require certification by the President or his APNSA: " ...it shall include -- (6) a certification or certifications by the Assitant to the President for National Security Affairs..."

The Attourney geneeral has to PERSONALLY review every FISA application: "...the Attourney General shall personally review..."

All FISA applications require certification by the President or his APNSA: " ...it shall include -- (6) a certification or certifications by the Assitant to the President for National Security Affairs..."

The Attourney geneeral has to PERSONALLY review every FISA application: "...the Attourney General shall personally review..."

Comey of the FBI has refuted the wiretapping charges. But you Trump rubes seem to be missing a key point: If the Obama administration was watching/listening to Trump surrogates and/or Trump, they had EVERY REASON to as Trump surrogates were talking to the Russians. Why would Trump surrogates be talking to the Russians during the campaign, at a time when, need I remind you, Russian were hacking the Democratic Party campaign offices? Various Trump officials have acknowledged talking to the Russians. You seem not recognize the significance of Trump officials conniving with officials representing a U.S. enemy--an enemy meddling in our democratic process. You are apparently not smart enough to separate wheat from chaff--well, we know that to be true, as you voted for Trump, a sleazy real estate developer who starts lying when he gets up in the morning and doesn't stop until he goes to sleep. Why hasn't he released his tax returns? Why did he heap praise, suspiciously, on the Russian dictator? You people have no standards. Can you imagine if Clinton during the campaign where showing praise on the leaders of Iran? You goobers would be red in the face with rage.

There are ethical standards in American that are above partisan politics. After the election Trump spouted a lie about illegal voting for WEEKS! Obvious lie, not a scintilla of evidence to support it--and he did not care. He kept repeating the lie. True or not true? You folks who like to compare Obama and/or Clinton to Trump are too blinded by ignorance and bias to think rationally. Trump's many ethical violations are real--he CHEATED thousands of Americans like you out of big money with his fake real estate seminars. He's cheated hundreds of contractors over the years--there are the lawsuits to prove it. The stuff you right-wing freak trot out about Obama and Clinton is propaganda and fantasy. Obama and Clinton have more integrity in their pinkies than Trump. That is a quite obvious fact, not an opinion. Show me ethical issues involving Obama? There are none. Clinton mistaken used an email server and the political right tried (with some success) to turn it into a fake scandal. Fake scandals versus real scandals. Trump is a dishonest moron--his administration has been a disaster. His administration if full of amateurs and crackpots. Trump trashed our intelligence services for weeks--saying that he did not believe that the Russians hacked us--and then was made to look like the fool that he is when they proved to him that the Russians did, in fact, hack us. Trump then went to the CIA, acted like an idiot in front of a memorial to slain CIA officers--and tried to blame his treasonous/foolish statements on the media! This is what Trump does: He gets called on his many lies and his unethical behavior--and his tried and true MO is to lash out at his accusers, for days/weeks, insults them and basically tries to deflect attention from his sleazy, unethical behavior. He did this all through the election, he does it now. It's what he's all about. He's a bad character--dishonest, sinister. He's always been this way--as anyone who's lived in New York could tell all the red-state folk who struggle to separate real facts from the propaganda that Republicans specialize in noways. __________________vance law

Obama admin did file a FISA request to use FBI and CIA against Trump. Not because there was any evidence. But because they wanted to look for evidence. Turns out that is all that Nixon was doing. Exactly the same.

__________________You stick your middle finger in my face, and you interpret that the way you see fit. I'll interpret it the way I see fit. Then we can figure it out together.

Obama admin did file a FISA request to use FBI and CIA against Trump. Not because there was any evidence. But because they wanted to look for evidence. Turns out that is all that Nixon was doing. Exactly the same.

How are we going to break the news to dewy?__________________"I like to establish the parameters of my own thoughts and don't think I need a director."

"This is not debate class. And this is not about politeness. We're talking about the damn future of our country"

"It is not just simply yelling out a name and yelling down dissenters........................... and I'll defend your right to even insult me"

Comey of the FBI has refuted the wiretapping charges. But you Trump rubes seem to be missing a key point: If the Obama administration was watching/listening to Trump surrogates and/or Trump, they had EVERY REASON to as Trump surrogates were talking to the Russians. Why would Trump surrogates be talking to the Russians during the campaign, at a time when, need I remind you, Russian were hacking the Democratic Party campaign offices? Various Trump officials have acknowledged talking to the Russians. You seem not recognize the significance of Trump officials conniving with officials representing a U.S. enemy--an enemy meddling in our democratic process. You are apparently not smart enough to separate wheat from chaff--well, we know that to be true, as you voted for Trump, a sleazy real estate developer who starts lying when he gets up in the morning and doesn't stop until he goes to sleep. Why hasn't he released his tax returns? Why did he heap praise, suspiciously, on the Russian dictator? You people have no standards. Can you imagine if Clinton during the campaign where showing praise on the leaders of Iran? You goobers would be red in the face with rage.

There are ethical standards in American that are above partisan politics. After the election Trump spouted a lie about illegal voting for WEEKS! Obvious lie, not a scintilla of evidence to support it--and he did not care. He kept repeating the lie. True or not true? You folks who like to compare Obama and/or Clinton to Trump are too blinded by ignorance and bias to think rationally. Trump's many ethical violations are real--he CHEATED thousands of Americans like you out of big money with his fake real estate seminars. He's cheated hundreds of contractors over the years--there are the lawsuits to prove it. The stuff you right-wing freak trot out about Obama and Clinton is propaganda and fantasy. Obama and Clinton have more integrity in their pinkies than Trump. That is a quite obvious fact, not an opinion. Show me ethical issues involving Obama? There are none. Clinton mistaken used an email server and the political right tried (with some success) to turn it into a fake scandal. Fake scandals versus real scandals. Trump is a dishonest moron--his administration has been a disaster. His administration if full of amateurs and crackpots. Trump trashed our intelligence services for weeks--saying that he did not believe that the Russians hacked us--and then was made to look like the fool that he is when they proved to him that the Russians did, in fact, hack us. Trump then went to the CIA, acted like an idiot in front of a memorial to slain CIA officers--and tried to blame his treasonous/foolish statements on the media! This is what Trump does: He gets called on his many lies and his unethical behavior--and his tried and true MO is to lash out at his accusers, for days/weeks, insults them and basically tries to deflect attention from his sleazy, unethical behavior. He did this all through the election, he does it now. It's what he's all about. He's a bad character--dishonest, sinister. He's always been this way--as anyone who's lived in New York could tell all the red-state folk who struggle to separate real facts from the propaganda that Republicans specialize in noways.

The red state folks I know were well aware of his shortcomings, our other choice was of even worse moral character and even more dishonest then Trump.

What does that say about your party????????__________________If we are not careful, our colleges will produce a group of close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists, consumed with immoral acts. - Dr. Martin Luther King

“Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage.” ― Winston S. Churchill

Former Obama officials issued denials that the former president had anything to do with it, which McCarthy calls “disingenuous on several levels.” Others have characterized them as a "non-denial denial.”

FISA surveillance is severely limited and requires information from surveillance to be kept very secret or, if not relevant, deleted. If those limits were exceeded, if Obama officials lied to the court, or if the information was — as it appears to have been — excessively shared within the government, or leaked to outsiders, those are all serious crimes.

Comey of the FBI has refuted the wiretapping charges. But you President Trump rubes seem to be missing a key point: If the Obama administration was watching/listening to President Trump's surrogates and/or Trump, they had EVERY REASON to as President Trump's surrogates were talking to the Russians.

Says the member who looked the other way when it was "Curious George".

Needless to say the double-standard by the Right is incredible. __________________President Obama kept Republicans out of the White House for 8 years and added two excellent justices to the Supreme Court. Those two things alone make him one of our greatest Presidents of my lifetime.

dewy's theory-of-the-day is that if you didn't speak out against it, then you support it. For example, since dewy didn't speak out against obama being imprisoned for his role in obamagate, then dewy supports obama being put in prison. Hope this helps.__________________"She Packed My Bags Last Night, Pre-Flight, Zero Hour Nine A.M."

Originally Posted by EarlyGraycedewy's theory-of-the-day is that if you didn't speak out against it, then you support it. For example, since dewy didn't speak out against obama being imprisoned for his role in obamagate, then dewy supports obama being put in prison. Hope this helps.

been his theory for a very long time. A year or two ago, he would post his theoretical discussions, then ask several of us if we agreed. if we didn't quickly enough, or at all even (because it gets old answering the same thing over and over), then we obviously agreed.

been his theory for a very long time. A year or two ago, he would post his theoretical discussions, then ask several of us if we agreed. if we didn't quickly enough, or at all even (because it gets old answering the same thing over and over), then we obviously agreed.

welcome to it.

Exactly as stated__________________"I like to establish the parameters of my own thoughts and don't think I need a director."

"This is not debate class. And this is not about politeness. We're talking about the damn future of our country"

"It is not just simply yelling out a name and yelling down dissenters........................... and I'll defend your right to even insult me"

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